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 ====== Pravin Shinde: boot.kernel.org - Universal remote network booting for the masses ======
+Project aims for creation of website, which can be used by any user for creating and downloading
+customized boot images, system tools, utilities and network installation images based on needs.
+It will also support HTTP based booting with PXELinux and allow users to customize the system using
+the flexibility of interface provided be Syslinux and boot from it without installation. We plan to enable normal
+users to experiment with different tools, utilities and system images without any hassles.
 ===== Project Plan =====
+This project is about making the network boot process available to users on a large scale.
+The project aims to enable the creation of a site (say, boot.kernel.org) which can be used by
+any person in multiple ways to get a customized system image, hardware diagnostics, utilities,
+security and rescue tools and network installation images. This can be done either through any
+web browser by creating and downloading custom images, or with tools like PXElinux which can
+contact boot.kernel.org at boot time over HTTP for fetching a bootable image.
+The reasoning behind this project is to provide one stop location for user where he can
+find and use most of the diagnostic, rescue tools and various system images without any
+need for creation of dedicated media or installation. It will allow users to try out various systems
+in painless way.
+This project is based on "PXE Knife" which let the user select and boot from various
+system utilities using PXE. Currently PXE Knife works over TFTP. The first step of this
+project will be to extend PXE Knife to work over HTTP. This project goes beyond "PXE Knife"
+by supporting the hosting of actual applications on centralized server and giving out only
+small stub to user which will boot the system and bring it to network. Then the stub will
+contact central server for any application/utilities. This way, initial download time is
+significantly reduced and all applications can be always kept uptodate at central location
+of server. This way, user will always get most updated and *working* application whenever he needs.
+Next immediate step will be about customizing PXELinux to use boot.linux.org.
+This customized PXEClient is nothing but regular PXELinux with an embedded script that sets the "next-server"
+to boot.kernel.org regardless of what the local DHCP server provides. This way, any user can use boot.linux.org without
+having to (re)configure a dhcp server. [Done]
+Machines with static IP addresses can be handled by providing a separate embedded script which can be generated at
+boot.kernel.org  by providing an IP-address, router and DNS server address corresponding to the user's machine. These
+values will be hard-coded into the embedded script which will be bundled with PXEClient handed to the user.
+User will be provided with web-interface at boot.linux.org where he will feed in his network setting, and customized
+PXEClient embedded script for user's network will be automatically generated. [Currently working on]
+These customized PXElinux clients will start the machine and contact boot.kernel.org. boot.kernel.org will return a
+Syslinux image with a menu providing the user with a list of various systems and tools/utilities he/she wishes to select
+for his/her system. Once the user makes his/her choices, boot.linux.org will create a new system image by bundling
+together a precompiled kernel, a prepared initramfs and appending the selected tool/packages/stubs to it. This customized
+system image returned by boot.linux.org will be used by the machine to boot.
+Syslinux will be used to provide the user with an interface where he/she can select which
+kernel and which tools he wants to bundle into the image. Depending on the selection made
+by the user, an image will be dynamically generated and made available to him/her. The default interface will be using
+vesamenu.c32 giving simple navigation, and expert mode interface can be provided using menu.c32 giving more flexibility.
+The image generated by boot.kernel.org will consist of two major components:
+the kernel itself and initramfs. The kernel portion will be common for all system images
+generated for a particular architecture. Most of the device drivers will be compiled as modules
+to reduce the hardware dependence and size of the kernel. These kernel modules will be part of
+the initramfs component. The base system kernel will be designed on the lines of "Ultimate boot CD" or
+"Knoppix" which are able to boot on most commodity hardware. But root filesystem will be entirely based
+on initramfs and hence self sufficient for execution.
+To keep the size of the system image resonably small, base system will only provide minimal functionality.
+However, the user will be provided with options to add any applications or utilities he/she wants
+to bundle in the image. The application selected by users will be appended to initramfs base system
+by exploiting the ability to append into CPIO as one more layer. This will provide semi-transparency to users
+as when user selects any appliction/tool, all the dependencies will be precomputed.
+After accepting the selection from a user's side, boot.kernel.org will dynamically append the
+applications selected to the base initramfs system. It will also add any other appliction/library needed
+for selected application to work. As all the tools which will be will be pre-configured and kept ready for deployment,
+only appending the binaries to the initramfs will be needed (in addition to changes in configuration of base system, if required).
+As no compilation is involved, this step can be done with an acceptable response time.
+This system can be also extended beyond providing basic rescue facilities by providing the ability
+to perform a network installation. Initially, the base system provided to the user will boot the machine,
+after which the network installation is kickstarted using the repository available on boot.kernel.org.
+By providing central repository and custom boot images Network installtion can be made possible.
+Most distributions come with network boot support over TFTP. But with small modifications these destributions can
+also support booting and installation over HTTP.
 ==== Summary ====
@@ Line 8: / Line 84: @@
 ==== Milestones and Timeline ====
+Deliverables with Timeline (Duration = 12 weeks)
+[Week-0,1]
+. PXE Knife on HTTP.
+. PXE clients with embedded scripts.
+[Week-2,3]
+. Web interface for customized PXE-client based on network configuration of the user.
+. Web interface for PXE Knife images of HTTP.
+[Week-4]
+. Detailed Syslinux menu from where user can choose which applications he wants add.
+[Week-5,6]
+. Base system with generic kernel and base initrdfs which should boot on most of the systems.
+[Week-7,8]
+. Precompiled applications and their respective configurations.
+[Week-9,10]
+. scripts for dynamically appending above precompiled applications into initramfs,
+        and reconfiguring the system so that appended application will work.
+[Week-11]
+. Providing various Network installable distributions online.
+. Documentation
+[End]

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